Insult to injury as jet jobs go to India

THE recent catastrophic number of redundancies announced by BAE Systems was both devastating and depressing news for everyone, even those who had no direct contact with the factories, but I simply cannot begin to imagine the suffering and worries of the sacked workers, their families and all the other both small and large businesses who will be adversely affected by such a body-blow.

To heap further misery upon them is the news that almost 60 Hawk aircraft, previously built at the home of the Hawk at Brough, East Yorkshire, will be ordered by India but built by an Indian state-run company.

Now, have I got it all wrong, but didn’t Britain – courtesy of our very generous Prime Minister, David Cameron, give India £300m in foreign aid?

It is very clear that this bountiful gift certainly didn’t persuade India to show any gratitude by placing the order for the Hawk aircraft to be built in England, but decided it would be better for them to build it in India.

Has the £300m gift been used to assist in their manufacture by the Indian company for the amount of aid alone will buy around 25 per cent of the 60 aircraft required? The sacked workers from BAE must be unbelievably dismayed, to put it mildly, if they feel their very own government has used taxpayers’ money, to which they have contributed, to benefit a competitor to their huge disadvantage.

Suspicions on supermarkets

From: Keigh Wigglesworth, Mead Way, Highburton, Huddersfield.

FOLLOWING on from Jayne Dowle’s column about supermarkets (Yorkshire Post, September 26) I have noticed the following.

A local Morrisons supermarket offers a fuel loyalty card at the filling station, giving a £5 voucher to be redeemed instore when a total of 5,000 points is reached.

Fine you might think, but on many occasions, the fuel pump, when using the “pay at the machine” facility, refuses to recognise the card.

I know that a trip to the pay station would resolve this matter, but when in a rush, as many of us are and a queue is forming behind, the tendency is to leave it and drive off.

Once or twice, this can be put down to glitches in the system, but the conspiracy theorist in me comes to the fore when this has happened to me over a dozen times: too many for this to be a coincidence.

Could it be that the system is deliberately programmed to do just this, so the supermarket lessens the redemption impact on its “offer”?

Myths about old schools

From: Eric Houlder, Fairview, Carleton.

TONY Woodhead’s letter (Yorkshire Post, October 5) demonstrates a degree of prejudice against those of us who remember with affection the old system of education. He also uses untruths, for no-one was written off at 11, or any other age under that system.

After the 11-plus examination, there were at least three further chances to reach grammar school, and one chance to reach technical college. These latter establishments were excellent and should not have been abolished. The same must be said about grammar schools, obviously.

I failed the 11-plus myself, and finally reached grammar school two years later, having turned down the opportunity to go to technical college.

Friends who stayed at the secondary modern school had equally successful lives, and many earned more, much more, than I did.

I taught in secondary modern, grammar, and comprehensive schools. The happiest times were in an old, run-down secondary modern in a Yorkshire mining town. I often see ex-pupils and they are universal in their praise for their education, and the care the staff took of them. Their general knowledge, grammar, spelling and attitude puts many recent graduates to shame. Need I say more?

Meaning of marriage

From: Mrs M Hellawell, Cross Lane, Scarborough.

WITH regard to the Lib Dem Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone planning to introduce gay marriages, this is not right because marriage is a union between man and woman, and for the procreation of children.

This, the bedrock of society, was instituted before any government. So how can a gay or lesbian partnership be a marriage? They can’t create children. Marriage is love and trust, recognised by all faiths and non-faiths.

Trying to rewrite and redefine the institution of marriage is wrong. This is not homophobic; it is fact.

Paying price of digital

From: Keith Chapman, Custance Walk, York.

ONCE again, another blow for all listeners and viewers with cuts within the BBC within the next few years.

Can some readers please answer a puzzling question? Why have we all gone digital for goodness’ sake?

All the upheaval in the country of changing over, the expense on boxes and bits and pieces – all an unnecessary expense – and we are told that we are supposed to have a better service in the future.

Now after the cuts within the BBC, one has to ask was it all necessary?

We in this society have a responsibility to others and for many this service is a lifeline. We use this service within our home, our car and where we work; especially local radio which has become part of everyday life.

Many presenters bring the community together and provide a service that no other establishment can provide. There are many people that are isolated and have few visitors.